Above, Dream Activists at a rally. Lesbian and DREAM Act activist Prerna Lal works tirelessly on both the Uniting American Families Act and the DREAM Act. See her work here.

Dream Act Activists and Uniting American Families Activists are in discussions to unite forces to pushing their legislative goals. This a good faith effort to fortify that alliance.

An alarm was sounded yesterday, that reports are coming out of DC that the promise of comprehensive immigration reform in 2010 has collapsed under the weigh of political timidity.

But tomorrow four Senators will gather in a room and decide what, if anything, can be salvaged from the rubble. I present for your consideration two stand alone bills they are considering, why they’re well worth fighting for, and how to go about doing it.

Cross-posted at Daily Kos, please Recommend if you can.

Olivier De Wulf of Belgium and Steve Boullianne of Los Angeles, with their two adopted boys and UAFA lead sponsor Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY). They have few options open to them to remain together as a family, in Belgium or America. Their story is here.

The Uniting American Families Act

Even as the President “gives a nod” to same-sex families in his Family Day Proclamation, the harsh reality is our Federal Government continues its refusal to recognize their validity. An LGBT citizen can share a life, a mortgage, children, and decades of experience with their non-citizen partner. But if immigration problems arise-an expired student visa, a layoff that results in the loss of a work permit-everything can be lost. A state marriage certificate may as well be a coffee filter for all good it will do with the DHS. They can, will and do deport the lawfully wedded spouses of LGBT American citizens.

It’s time for this to stop. And it can, pass the Uniting American Families Act, and the Federal Government will finally provide the same pathway for LGBT American citizens to petition for residency status on behalf of their non-citizen partners that heterosexual Americans enjoy.

Christopher was brought here as a child, and is now pre-med at UCLA, and faces immigration problems. His story is here, other DREAM Act activist have told their stories here.

The DREAM Act (The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act)

Imagine your parents came to America, hoping to provide you with a better life filled with opportunities they never had. Imagine you embraced the opportunities presented to you. You excelled in school, you spoke English, melded with the American culture, bonded with your classmates, neighbors, your church, your scout troop, your teammates. Each morning, you placed your hand on your heart and recited the pledge of allegiance with your classmates. You exchanged text messages about American Idol, attended the prom, saw the summer blockbusters and downloaded the best new albums as soon as they come out. You advanced to college.

You are a child of America, through and through.

But there’s a problem. It seems when you were too young to have much say in the matter, your parents didn’t exactly dot the i’s and cross their t’s correctly. And now, you too, are left with few options to remain in America, the only home you’ve known.

The neglected problem of immigration has languished so long it’s affecting a second generation. There is a solution, The DREAM Act.

I hate the idea that anyone’s pain should be prioritized over another’s. But that wasn’t a call I made. It’s been made for us by the Powers That Be in DC. Tomorrow, four people will gather in a room and decide whose pain may be addressed this year, whose dilemmas may find a solution.

But these populations need address, and soon. They need relief.

Call these Senators and tell them to move on the Uniting American Families Act and the DREAM Act.

Sen. Feinstein:

331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-3841

Sen. Reid:
522 Hart Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-3542

Sen. Menendez:
528 Senate Hart Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: 202-224-4744

Sen. Schumer:
313 Hart Senate Office
Building
Washington D.C. 20510
Phone: 202-224-6542